Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitching Rules Question

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I read somewhere about the "slingshot" type pitching versus the "windmill". As I never see slingshot style pitchers, it made me curious is this pitching style even still legal? If it is, does anyone use this method now-a-days? I am just curious....Thanks for any info!

 

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Yes, it would still be legal. There's nothing that says a pitcher MUST use a windmill windup. So long as everything else is legal (bringing hands together, footwork, etc.) then this would be a legal pitch.

The last time I saw it used was a few years ago by an oldtimer in a men's fastpitch league.

 

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Saw a girl at Berne Union use it last year...only on her change up. Kind of gave it away to the batters!

 

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Our DD pitched sling until her freshman year in HS and to this day I wonder whether she should have stuck with it. Ron Marstiller taught her, so you know she had the right mechanics. I think that peer pressure led her to want to change and so she made the conversion with Ron at the helm. And yes, occasionally an opposing coach would challenge whether it was legal when she was pitching sling. (BTW, usually just the fact of the sling and the fact that she was a lefty got her through the line-up one time before the hitters adjusted).

Interestingly, at one of the NFCA Coaches College courses that I attended, Kirk Walker of Oregon State said he thought there was room for a sling pitcher in the game and Connie Clark of Texas didn't disagree.

 

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Our DD pitched sling until her freshman year in HS and to this day I wonder whether she should have stuck with it. Ron Marstiller taught her, so you know she had the right mechanics..

Ron might have been the oldtimer I saw using this technique!

(But don't tell him that I called him an "oldtimer"- he might come looking for me).

 

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I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. Thanks for the info!

 

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I was privileged enough to have Ron come to lead a clinic for our organization?s pitchers. He brought one of his HS students with him and her slingshot pitch was 2-3mph faster than her windmill (both above 60 BTW).

 

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Thats interesting stuff. Knew it wasnt illegal but didnt know it was taught for higher levels and could be that affective.

 

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A girl for the X treme Heat team used it agaisnt us. She would mix it in a couple times an inning to mess up our timing. Great gadget pitch.

 

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Thats interesting stuff. Knew it wasnt illegal but didnt know it was taught for higher levels and could be that affective.

Many of the pitchers I've seen incorporate a slingshoot into their warm-up anyway. DD does but I expect she would fight me if I wanted her to throw it during a game.

 

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My dd will throw it once in a while during a game.Froze a few batters,but once they have seen it,not so much.She finds it fun to do when no batter has seen her do it ,throws it on 0-2 count first time,and then will mix it in here and there during the game,but used very little, and yes,we hear coaches asking if it is legal. Some weekends she will never throw it at all.My mother played fastpitch and modifed back in the mid to late 70s and on into the 80s. she was a slingshoter,so my mother loves when her granddaughter throws it,my mom is 68yo so it brings back memories for her.

 

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My dd uses the slingshot.

The PIAA umpires hate it and usually will call it illegal. The ASA umpires are a mixed bag and the USSSA will allow it. It appears to be a legal pitch in college. When you ask why it is illegal most umpires will not be able to answer. Those that do will cite; to many times past her hip, following through to high, perhpas a rule that states that the pitcher can't do anything that deceives the batter, or they will cite the 'god rule' that it is not in the best interests of the game. This is pitch is the pitch the ancients used before they brought the windmill to the promised land. It is an outgrowth of the 'T' drill and most kids can actually throw it, but few choose to do so.

My dd will try to show it to the umpires when warming up so that they are not surprised. She will never throw it for the first time when someone is on base for the fear of the illegal call; so she will toss it early in the game and make sure that these umpires will approve it. She can throw it for a strike. It travels about 20 mph slower than her fastball so it acts like a change-up but more important is that the batters are still getting ready for the pitch when it is by them, the rhythm is all different. It drives the opposing coaches crazy, because it has to be illegal or everyone would use it. Her team-mates love it and that one strike is the one they all talk about in the evenings.

It keeps the game light-hearted and fun and it should be your dd's bag of tricks, if only to lighten up a practice, drive the opposing coaches crazy or force an umpire to really know the rules.

 

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I can`t imagine any ump calling it illegal. It passes the hip twice just like wind mill. If it is call illegal, just goes to show that it only takes a 70 to pass the test to ump...lol

 

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@punchout: lol

@others: there is a suggestion here that the slingshot is a "gadget" or "trick" pitch. When our DD used it, that was all that she pitched. She had four pitches when she was throwing slingshot, and in true Marstiller fashion, she had a changeup for each of the four pitches. Ron doesn't teach this type of delivery as a gadget.

BTW, Joan Joyce was one of the greatest pitchers of all time and she used the slingshot exclusively. Now the Head Coach at Florida Atlantic University, Joyce unfortunately played during an era when women's fastpitch was well below the radar. But she played for the amazing Raybestos Brakettes team and Ted Williams once said that she was the scariest pitcher he ever faced. We know all this because Ron had the DD look up Joan Joyce when the DD and Ron started out in the slingshot mode.

 

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I use it (without the best technique) to pitch BP because I cannot successfully pitch BP with a full windmill...I can throw from a little closer and reach speed compariable to decent pitching... curveball still needs some work though..lol

 

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BTW, Joan Joyce was one of the greatest pitchers of all time and she used the slingshot exclusively. Now the Head Coach at Florida Atlantic University, Joyce unfortunately played during an era when women's fastpitch was well below the radar. But she played for the amazing Raybestos Brackettes team and Ted Williams once said that she was the scariest pitcher he ever faced. We know all this because Ron had the DD look up Joan Joyce when the DD and Ron started out in the slingshot mode.

Funny you should mention Joan Joyce. My aunt played for Shaefer Beer and has played against Ms. Joyce. Fastpitch was not well below the radar on the coasts at that time. There was a small but very faithful crowd for both men's and women's fastpitch 40+ years ago. I loved going to the games. My aunt says she never got a hit against Joan Joyce but did foul a few off.....lol

Len

 

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Len:

You are right that teams such as the Brakettes and Shaefer Beer, as well as some Texas and California teams playing what I believe was then called Women's Majors had loyal followings. But given today's media coverage (social and otherwise) of the sport, I'd still say women's fastpitch was, comparatively, below the radar back then.

I love your story about your aunt feeling proud to have fouled off a few from Joan Joyce.

 

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Carol

The Brakettes played in the Women's ASA A-Majors and the ISF. My aunt's Shaefer (I think they were called the Shaefer Shaeferettes) team played in the ASA A-Majors only. Rumor has it that Joyce could throw a sling-shot pitch over 70mph from 40 feet. My aunt's team basically played up and down the east coast and the Brakettes played anyone, anywhere. The Brakettes later became the Connecticut Falcons and entered the professional league where they won 4 times in a row before the league folded. They also went to China for a couple of weeks. Anyway, Joan Joyce's career ERA was something like .09 with scores of no hitters and perfect games. Joan Joyce was also on the LPGA, played on the US National Basketball and Volleyball teams, among other sports. I consider her BY FAR the best overall athlete ever in the US. She is one amazing woman.

Len

 

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Carol

The Brakettes played in the Women's ASA A-Majors and the ISF. My aunt's Shaefer (I think they were called the Shaefer Shaeferettes) team played in the ASA A-Majors only. Rumor has it that Joyce could throw a sling-shot pitch over 70mph from 40 feet. My aunt's team basically played up and down the east coast and the Brakettes played anyone, anywhere. The Brakettes later became the Connecticut Falcons and entered the professional league where they won 4 times in a row before the league folded. They also went to China for a couple of weeks. Anyway, Joan Joyce's career ERA was something like .09 with scores of no hitters and perfect games. Joan Joyce was also on the LPGA, played on the US National Basketball and Volleyball teams, among other sports. I consider her BY FAR the best overall athlete ever in the US. She is one amazing woman.

Len

very cool!!! Thanks for posting

 

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Just think about how intimidating a 12u team would be today with a big Budweiser logo on the front of the uni... "King of Beers...Queens of the Diamond". Ahhh... the good ol' days.